There was plenty of excitement when Amazon announced that it was bringing John Madden’s boundlessly remarkable life to the screen with Nicolas Cage in the lead role.<\/p>\n
However, the sneak peek of the upcoming biopic has left some fans questioning whether Hollywood has done justice to a true-blue football legend.<\/p>\n
Amazon Puts John Madden the Broadcaster in the Spotlight<\/p>\n
The biopic, titled “Madden,” is directed by David O. Russell, the director of “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.” It casts Cage as Madden opposite Christian Bale as Raiders owner Al Davis.<\/p>\n
John Mulaney plays Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, Kathryn Hahn plays Madden’s wife, Virginia, and Sienna Miller plays Davis’ wife, Carol, while Shane Gillis also appears in the ensemble.<\/p>\n
Amazon’s synopsis describes Cage’s Madden as “the skilled and effervescent coach who took a band of misfits all the way to an unlikely Super Bowl victory.”<\/p>\n
As the latest trailer for the biopic made the rounds, the footage drew criticism from several fans, who took aim at Cage’s look and impression of Madden.<\/p>\n
IMPROVE YOUR TEAM: PFN’s Free Fantasy Trade Calculator<\/a><\/p>\n Nicolas Cage’s Portrayal of John Madden Gets a Rough Reception<\/p>\n One fan went right<\/a> at it: “Is this a joke? Did Cage even try to sound like John Madden?”<\/p>\n Another fan reached<\/a> for a comparison: “The Norm Macdonald School of putting no effort into an impersonation.”<\/p>\n Others complained that a personality like Cage appeared to be an awkward fit for the role of Madden. One fan called<\/a> it “basically a desecration of Madden’s legacy. Astoundingly bad.”<\/p>\n Another fan made his stance<\/a> clear: “Out of respect to John Madden, I will not watch this movie.” While one fan joked<\/a>: “Oh my god, this is so horrible. Please do not release this.”<\/p>\n Long before his first broadcast, Madden ran the Raiders’ sideline for 10 seasons, 1969 through 1978, and captured Super Bowl 11 along the way. Among coaches with at least 100 career wins, Madden’s .759 regular-season winning percentage remains the highest.<\/p>\n In 1988, he partnered with EA Sports on what became the Madden NFL franchise, one of the best-selling video game series of all time. He died on Dec. 28, 2021, at 85.<\/p>\n Cage’s full performance reaches Prime Video on Nov. 18, when the biopic starts streaming worldwide on the service, which comes with an Amazon Prime membership.<\/p>\n